Education

Search the Special Needs Resource Directory

Special Education Resources Overview

Special Education Topics

The Center for Infants and Children with Special Needs at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center provides resources to help families find the special education programs and supports they need:

Frequent Questions

What laws guarantee my child will receive special education services?
How can early intervention programs help my infant or toddler with disabilities?
How do I get help for my preschooler with special needs?
Where do I begin if I think my child needs special education services?
What is an IEP and how should it be written?
Can my child get related services such as nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy at school?
Will my child qualify for extended school year (ESY) services to include teaching during the summer?
What happens if my child has behavior problems at school?
How do I use due process if I disagree with the recommendations of my school?
What is a 504 plan and how can I get one?
What postsecondary programs are available for transition or vocational training after high school?

Glossaries

For many parents and health care providers, special education and support services is a new world of legal rights, testing, eligibility requirements and planning. It has a language all its own of unique abbreviations, acronyms and phrases.

Bridges4Kids provides glossaries on special education and related terms.
National Center for Learning Disabilities provides a glossary of special education terms.
Whose IDEA is This: A Resouce Guide for Parents, published by the Ohio Department of Education, provides an appendix of commonly used terms and definitions of disability conditions at the end of the publication.
Wrightslaw Glossary of Special Education and Legal Terms can help you understand the new terminology.

Advocacy

Organizations and individuals can help you advocate for your child with special needs in the schools. Be sure to ask questions about their experience and outcomes before deciding who would best represent your child's needs. Several organizations also offer workshops and training.

Child Advocacy Services at Memorial provides information, support and local advocacy services to parents of children with special education needs. Call 513-621-3032 for more information.
Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati provides advocacy services and supports.
National Center for Learning Disabilities Parent Center and Advocacy Center provides information and resources on special education advocacy.
Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD) is the regional parent center dedicated to advancing the educational interests of children with disabilities. They provide advocacy services, workshops, information and referral.
Ohio Legal Rights Service is an independent state agency that provides protection, advocacy and assistance for children and adults with disabilities in Ohio.
Southwestern Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center (SERRC) provides information, support and training. A directory of SERRC offices in other areas in Ohio is available.
Wrightslaw has extensive information on special education and advocacy.
Cincinnati Attorneys, Phyllis Brown and Thomas Jacobs, practice school and education law. However, Cincinnati Children's does not endorse specific attorneys.